THE new £7.6million health and wellbeing fund will support 19 projects to promote nutrition, learning, language development and mental health during pregnancy and post birth in black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities.

Set up across the country, these 19 projects include a number of innovative schemes aimed at levelling up BAME groups and promote healthy behaviours.

“Everyone deserves to live a long, healthy life and the perfect time to start to achieve it, is in the beginning. Vital support for improving mental health of mothers, nutrition of babies and the learning and development of children in early years will help ensure the best possible start by reducing the inequality some face," said public health minister Jo Churchill.

“We have had some fantastic, innovative applications for the health and wellbeing fund. I’m looking forward to seeing these winning projects in action, making a real, tangible improvements to the lives and health of families.”

The projects include Hestia Housing and Support, St Michael’s Fellowship, National Childbirth Trust, National Literacy Trust, Spurgeons, Ashiana Community Project and Murray Hall Community Trust.

The fund is already supporting 23 social prescribing schemes and 23 children and young people’s mental health schemes that are providing important services to communities across England.

It is a part of the health and wellbeing programme, a joint initiative by the department of health and social care, Public Health England, NHS England, NHS Improvement, and is run by the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance.